Chapter 27
Dinner was not only delicious, but it was filled with laughter and flowing conversation. I watched Savage interact, noting the easy charm that emanated from him. But there was a relaxation in his body that was impossible to miss.
These were his people, his family.
He teased Sailor and Waverly like they were his own sisters. He watched Duke and Willa with an absent-minded smile and every time one of them did something sweet for the other, Savage patted my leg under the table.
“You guys clean up,” Willa said. “I want to show Evie the house. Then we’ll have dessert. Sound good?”
“Sounds good.” Duke kissed his wife. “Dinner was incredible, babe. Thanks for cooking.”
She clasped his face and ran a thumb across his cheek. “My pleasure. Evie?”
I wiped my mouth with a cloth napkin and then got up. Savage lifted his hand and placed it on the back of my thigh, giving it a squeeze. I touched his shoulder and then followed Willa.
“You guys load the dishwasher,” Duke said to Waverly and Sailor. “Savage and I will bring you the plates.”
Willa and I went inside.
“Savage didn’t tell me you guys lived out in the country,” I said as we trekked down the hallway.
“We needed the space,” Willa explained. “And we really do love it out here.”
“I’d love it too,” I admitted. “I grew up on a farm. The smells and sounds are familiar to me.”
Willa nodded. “It took a little getting used to. The wind would change and suddenly all I’d smell were the neighbor’s sheep. But the house is big, and Waverly and Sailor bunk together in the apartment attached to the shop.”
We climbed the stairs, and I placed my hand on the wood railing.
“This is the nursery,” Willa said, opening the door next to the master bedroom.
The room was painted sage green. A mural of baby animals and a circus took up one entire wall.
“This is beautiful,” I remarked.
“Brielle,” Willa said with a smile. “It was all Brielle.”
“No way,” I said with a laugh. “She has incredible skill.”
“Don’t I know it.” She took a seat in the rocking chair in the corner and placed her hand on her belly. “I’m ready for her to be out of me.”
I laughed. “Little quirk of nature, huh? Otherwise, we’d just get bigger and bigger . . .”
I went around the room, examining the furniture, running my hand across the smooth railing of the crib.
It was expensive, and sturdy.
“Savage said you’re having twins,” Willa said softly, her gaze trained on me. “That must’ve been a shock.”
“Yes. It was. Almost as much of a shock as finding out I was pregnant.”
Willa began to rock in the chair. “Savage also mentioned you were married . . .”
She trailed off, obviously waiting for me to expound and explain my situation.
“Yes, I was married. He passed away not too long ago. I know how it looks,” I said softly. “It’s been a whirlwind, believe me. I didn’t expect—I fell in love with Savage fast . Before I even knew I was pregnant.”
“Of course you fell in love with him quickly,” she said. “It’s Savage. He’s impossible not to love. But Evie . . . you’re pregnant . I understand the hormones, believe me. But are you sure you’re not just latching on to the first person that’s offered you security and stability?”
“That was blunt.”
“I know. But I can’t really tip-toe around it.”
“Yeah,” I murmured. “I guess you can’t.”
Willa didn’t really know me. All she saw was that I was a young, pregnant woman, in love with her best friend who was willing to raise my babies as his own. I could see how from the outside, it looked like this wouldn’t last.
Only Savage and I knew what we had and what we were made of. It might’ve been early in our relationship, but I knew it was special and no one could convince me otherwise.
“I need to use the restroom,” I said, wanting a moment to escape the heaviness of our conversation.
“Sure thing. There’s a bathroom down the hall,” she replied.
I walked out of the nursery and found the bathroom. I closed the door and leaned against it, breathing heavily for a moment. The room was hot. Old houses had a ton of quirks, and this one was no different.
I opened the window to let in some cool, fresh air and then I sat on the toilet lid to gather my thoughts.
“What are you doing, Savage?” Duke’s voice drifted through the open window.
“What do you mean what am I doing? ”
“Don’t play dumb.”
“Why don’t you tell me what you think I’m doing,” Savage taunted.
“You were jealous of me, weren’t you?” Duke asked.
“You’re out of your God damn mind,” Savage growled.
“What other explanation is there? Willa’s about to have the baby, you finally noticed shit can’t stay the way it’s always been, so what do you do? Run out and find a woman— a pregnant woman —and what? You claim her? You wanted an instant family, huh?”
“You better watch your fucking mouth,” Savage snapped.
“What do you actually know about her? You met her one random morning at a taco truck and you get her a job and put her in the halfway house . . . You’re takin’ her to doctors’ appointments like you’ve been with her for years, man. What the fuck, brother?”
“Is there a point to all this?” Savage asked.
“Is this because of Tracy?”
“No. It has nothing to do with her.”
Duke sighed. “You and Evie just met. And you’re already acting like she’s your Old Lady.”
“Duke,” Savage said sternly. “Evie is my Old Lady.”
“What?”
“I brought her to dinner to meet you first before I called Church to tell the brothers.”
“What the fuck? You’ve lost it. Utterly fucking lost it.”
“ That’s enough ,” Savage snapped. “Best friend or not, I won’t stand here and let you fling this shit at me. You dated Willa in secret, so don’t stand there all high and mighty and tell me what to do.”
“That was different, and you know it.”
“Why? Because you’ve loved Willa since we were kids? You loved Willa longer than I’ve loved Evie so you win?”
“It’s not about winning . It’s about making sure you’re not gonna . . .”
“Gonna what?” Savage asked.
“What if the other shoe drops? All I’m saying is, you don’t have to rush this thing with Evie. You can take your time getting to know her.”
“Take my time. I don’t want to take my time. I don’t need to. She’s the one for me. I thought you’d be happy for me. Clearly, I was wrong.”
“I do want you to be happy. But I also want you to be careful.”
“Thanks for your concern.” Savage’s tone was bitter.
“Savage—”
“No, fuck this.”
There was a knock on the bathroom door, followed by Willa calling out, “Are you okay?”
Grimacing, I rushed to the window and quickly shut it, wishing the sound of the wooden frame hitting the sill wasn’t so loud.
“I’m good. Be out in a sec!” I called back.
“Okay. I’ll be downstairs.”
I used the bathroom and was washing my hands when there was another knock on the door.
“Evie, it’s me,” Savage said.
I quickly dried my hands and went to open the door. Savage’s expression was tight with emotion.
“We’re leaving,” he decreed.
“All right,” I said softly.
He raised his brows but said nothing at my quick agreement. He took my hand and we went downstairs to the kitchen. Willa was cutting up a banana bread loaf and placing slices onto dessert plates while Duke was wiping down the counters. Waverly and Sailor had disappeared.
“Ah, good. Just in time for dessert.” Willa glanced at Savage and then at me.
“We’re leaving,” Savage announced.
“Why?” Willa asked.
“Ask your husband,” Savage stated. “Come on, Evie.”
“Thanks for dinner,” I said.
Savage and I left their house and got into the car. He sat in the driver’s seat, staring out the window.
“I heard your talk with Duke,” I said.
He didn’t look at me. “Yeah?”
“Yeah, I was in the upstairs bathroom, and I heard through the open window.” I nibbled my lip. “He doesn’t like me.”
“He doesn’t know you.” He clenched the steering wheel.
“You should tell him how we really met, Savage.”
“That would just invite more questions.”
“Doesn’t he have a right to ask them?” I asked. “He’s your best friend. They’re your family. They just want what’s best for you.”
“You’re what’s best for me.”
“I agree.” I placed my hand on his arm. “Don’t be mad at him. Think about how this looks from his perspective. He’s not wrong for being concerned.”
“You’re being way too understanding about this.”
“What should I do?” I asked. “Demand you stop being friends with them? Choose me over your best friend? That would prove his point. I know how you feel about me. I also know how crazy fast this has been for us. Both of those things can be true.”
When he didn’t reply, I asked, “Savage? Who’s Tracy?”
I thought he wouldn’t reply because he was silent for so long, but he surprised me when he said, “She’s a girl from my childhood. She was someone I failed to protect. And I carry that guilt with me every day.”
I didn’t press him to tell me more.
It seemed we both had pasts we were trying to keep in the past.